A Dreadful Bond
by GoatMilkandTACOS
Summary: The friends find themselves facing new adventures when the world of pirates is threatened by new enemies. They must struggle to keep their lives and their loves in a precarious world. Jack/OC, Will/OC SEQUEL to "What Do You Want Most?"
1. Returning

**Here begins Nim and Meg's sequel. Please read and review.**

Paradise has turned sour. Four months have passed since I left Meg on the battlements of Fort Charles to return to my world, where I thought I was needed. Four months since she contacted me through Calypso's locket telling me to come back and help her with the events of our next film, Dead Man's Chest. Four months since that locket was any use to me at all, since it opened and played its haunting little song.

I have never wanted to escape my world more than now, as I sit on the bus as it hurtles towards my street, carrying me home from another hard day's studying at the library. Outside the window, the sky is steely and the trees surrounding Deal Castle are thrown about in the wind, shaking their last dead leaves off and begging the sky for mercy. A thin rain falls and lashes the windows.

Life seems to have taken one big downward turn since the summer. My teachers are constantly on my back for more work, my friends are annoying me with their petty fighting and my family are pushing me to make decisions about university. All the problems that seemed small before my weird adventure now seem to be affecting me more, for I tasted happiness, freedom, power. I fought alongside my best friend in real battles, struggled to learn the tricks of the pirate trade and ran across an island, pursued by a particularly famous pirate who definitely did not want to kill me.

As the bus bumps its way along Beach Street, I see the sea, grey and angry, stretching out before me. I can't stop the tears from falling, as they've threatened for nigh on four months. Hardly thinking clearly, I ring the bell and ask to get off, running wildly across the green, then the beach, down to the water's edge.

I stare out at the grim horizon, tears blurring my vision and I seem to see my whole life stretched out ahead of me; my decisions made for me by other people, my world filled with dreary days of nothingness and routine and friends who can't see past their own vacant lives. In total despair, I rip the locket from round my neck and hold it out to the sea.

"Calypso?! Where are you?! Why have you left?!" my voice, a strangled scream, has attracted the attention of some fishermen, who sit sheltered in their little tent further up the beach; they laugh and mutter about crazy women.

But then a wind comes, sweeping across the sea, a wind that has me staggering backwards and falling to the pebbly beach. The locket opens in my hand, a pathetic warning, and over the wind, rain and churning sea, I hear its sad, music-box tune. Everything goes silent and still as I focus on the music, and then I see her standing in the surf, sea foam clinging to her tattered dress.

"It's time, child. You are ready to go back." her voice is pure serenity, which only fuels my anger.

"Ready? I've been left in this bloody world for four months with no word from you and no way of contacting Meg! I've been ready all this time."

"No. Only now do you actually need to come with me. We must leave soon. She needs you."

"Can't I...?" What? What do you need before you go back to the eighteenth century? "...change my clothes?"

"Yes, if you're quick. Come."

The air vibrates, forcing my eyelids to flutter closed and the beautiful floating sensation arrives. It is not nearly as powerful as last time, and when I wake, I realize why.  
I stand in my bedroom with Calypso, who examines my Pirates of the Caribbean posters with amusement. It is such an odd scene that I can't help laughing at her. It feels like the first time I've laughed, or even smiled, in months, which makes me laugh even more.

"When you've quite finished..." the sea goddess admonishes, and I snap out of it, "this time, things will not be a simple. There is a fear you must overcome in this new adventure, a choice you must make that is much more complicated than the last. Your friendship will be more important than ever."

"I know. I'm ready." I've never lied more in my life. While I'm happy to be leaving my world, Calypso's little warning speech has made me doubt myself, my abilities.

"And, of course, you can't return until the story is over...you must complete the whole story."

"Of course." I say indignantly, feathers ruffled, "I didn't try to escape early last time, did I?"

"If you're sure then, we must go. Get ready." she smiles at me, "When you're properly attired, hold the locket and make the wish."

I am alone in my room. My fingers are still cold from the winter weather. I rummage around in my wardrobe until I find a long brown skirt that could pass for 18th century, and my 'pirate' blouse with the ruffles. I dress quickly, pulling on boots and brushing through my damp, tangled hair. Then, checking that no one is home, I hurry downstairs and fetch some food and drink which I put in a knapsack, along with my perfume and lipgloss (I will be seeing Jack again). Standing, equipped, in the living room, I hold the locket tightly in my hand.

"I want to go back to the world of Pirates of the Caribbean." my voice rises like bird to the ceiling, my words breaking apart and bursting into the bright, white light that fills the room and makes the air shudder. The force of it knocks me down, and I am ripped apart by the sensation of floating.

When I whoosh back together and wake up, I have left my room, my world and my life. I find myself on the quarterdeck of a very familiar ship...


	2. The Pearl

At first it seems as though I am alone on the deck of the Pearl, where the cool, still night surrounds me and where I breathe the salty air and listen to the lulling creak of sails and ropes above me. But, then I hear voices down on the half deck and I move closer to the railing of the quarterdeck so I can look down on them without them seeing me.

"Not quite according to plan then?" Gibbs asks Jack as he pulls him aboard using the leg of a skeleton. Jack. My heart jumps when I see him, his dark eyes somewhat haunted. Things have changed, alright.

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome." the captain replies.

"You got what you went in for then?"

I watch him for a while as he explains about the key to his confused crew and gives them a random heading, just like in the film. Even now, he makes me shiver, and it is enough to erase all thought of the problems of my own world immediately. As he heads to the Grand Cabin and the crew rush to make sail, I know I can go to him.

Sneaking down the companionway, I make sure none of the crew see me, before turning right and opening the door to the grand cabin, where the lamps are once again lit, and he sits there at his desk, his head bowed over his compass. It finally points in one direction; forward, to where I am standing.

"Aha!" he cries, and looks up, seeing me at last. His mouth falls open in surprise, and very slowly, he smiles.

"Nim?"

"Yes, Jack." I smile back and he rushes over, pulling me into a hug that nearly lifts me off the floor.

"How did you get here? What are you doing?"

"I...I've come back." there is nothing else for me to say. We sit down, he on his captain's chair and me perching on the desk, and he tells me about how Commodore Norrington chased him round the Atlantic ocean, and how he got the drawing of a key from the Turkish prison. The cabin is warm, and I drink a glass of rum, so I feel light and sleepy.

"Where have you been?" he finally asks as I grin and give him my stock answer.

"Here and there."

Later, he lets me have his cabin, and he finds me the clothes I wore on my last visit. When he is gone, I put on my nightdress and lie in his big bed; comfortable, tired, and half-wishing he had not been gentlemanly enough to leave.

Remembering Meg, I know I must get to her as soon as I can. We must devise a plan to meet, for tonight Jack will be visited by Bootstrap Bill, and I must convince him to go to the right place. Wondering if it will work after four months, I try to contact her with my thoughts.

Meg? Meg?! It's Nim. Can you hear me? I hold the locket and will her to hear.

Nim? How can I hear you? Why is it working again? the reply is clear, and I laugh aloud.

I'm in your world again! I haven't been able cross over for four months, but today, Calypso came to me. I'm here! I'm on the Black Pearl!

When can I see you? I'm in jail. Beckett arrested Will, Elizabeth and me at the wedding.

Go with Will when he sets off to find Jack. Tell him to go straight to the Isla de Pelegostos.

Where? she sounds incredulous.

The cannibal island! Keep away from the cannibals. I'll convince Jack to go there tonight.

The conversation ends there, and I am free to go to sleep...for a while, at least, until Jack wakes everyone on the ship after his creepy visitation by Bootstrap.

I hear the commotion on deck and rush out, where Jack stands by the capstan, hiding from Jones' terrible leviathan that will not come for him for a while. I know that much.

"Jack? You need to head for land, right?" I ask him.

"Yes." he seems distracted.

"Then lend me that compass a minute. I'll find the direction." he hands me the compass and I hold it open, telling it silently to point me to Isla de Pelegostos. It obeys, and I show him, "Go this way, but when we get into the shallows, don't go ashore! That island is dangerous!"

"How do you know these things?"

"I have...magical powers." I tell him, half-joking. He laughs and heads up to the helm, ordering everyone to set sail in the way the compass pointed when I held it.

In two days, we will arrive at the cannibal island. I only hope Meg and Will will arrive there on time, and won't get caught by the cannibals. Our lives depend on it...  


* * *

Jack Sparrow sat later in his cabin, still holding the compass and frowning. In the other room, she slept silently, peacefully. If only he could be so calm. He was hunted now by Davy Jones, who he made a deal with all those years ago. Now, he had to pay. The price? His soul.

The compass, once bartered from a wise woman, was useless. The needle refused to settle, moving from Nim, to wherever the key was and to the safety of the shallows. Truthfully, Jack did not know what he wanted. His only hope of staying safe now was to trust Nim's uncanny knack of knowing the right course (almost as if she had seen it all before), and hope she gets it right again.


	3. Currency of the Realm

Elizabeth had one more stop to make before she headed for Tortuga to meet with Will, Jack, Nim and Meg after their sojourn to Isla de Pelegostos. She crept through the fort on silent feet, heading for the well-known chamber that had once been her father's office, but was now the workplace of Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Company.

She found the office empty, and she was quick; snatching up the Letters of Marque which lay in their wooden case. But, then he came in, and she was forced to hide in the shadows.

He seemed to know immediately that they were gone, and that he had an intruder, because he spoke into the darkness.

'It seems you have discovered that loyalty is no longer the currency of the realm, as your father believes.' his voice, a bored drawl, filled her with hatred.

'Then what is?' she asked.

'Oh, I'm afraid currency is the currency of the realm.'

There was a pause, in which she thought through his words, but then she regained her composure and approached him, holding out the Letters.

'These Letters of Marque, they are signed by the King?'

'Yes, but they are not valid until they bear my signature and my seal.'

'Else I wouldn't still be here.' she said with as much disdain as she could muster.

'You're going to great lengths to ensure Jack Sparrow's freedom.' he smiled knowingly at her.

'These aren't going to Jack!'

'To ensure Mr Turner's freedom then? It certainly seems odd, considering the word is that he left you for that other girl...Meg, is it?' he let the cruelty of his words sink in, 'I'll still want that compass...consider that in your calculations.'

'Compass?' realization dawned on her face, 'Compass! I have been to the Isla de Muerta, and there is something you should know.'

'Ah, you think the compass leads only to the Isla de Muerta?' he turned and looked at the great world map which now took up a whole wall, 'No, there is more than one chest of value in these waters, but thank you for your concern.'

'Just sign the Letters.' she sighed, drawing her pistol and aiming it at his head. He gave her a look, and took the Letters of Marque over to the desk where he signed and sealed them.

She took them and left the room before he could change his mind or call the guards. Elizabeth was on her way to Tortuga.

* * *

  
I can see the dark mass of Isla de Pelegostos looming on the horizon as the Black Pearl draws nearer to its destination. The last two days have been dull, as Jack seems preoccupied with his fate, and the crew are busy getting us there as fast as possible. I have felt like a spare part, something I never thought would happen in this world. Not to mention the fact that I have had Jack's cabin for the last two nights, and he has not come in once.

'Lower the anchor!' he calls finally from his place at the helm. I hear him from where I stand at the bow, leaning out over the water, and I climb down. As the crew hurry to lower the anchor, I finally go to him.

'Jack?'

'Yes, love?' he turns to me, his eyes sad and haunted.

'Will and Meg will be here, you know.' I say, not sure what else I can say. I don't really know why I came over here.

'How do you know these things? You always seem to know.' he sounds stressed.

'Just trust me.'

I go back to the half deck to wait for the order to leave the ship. I really want to see Meg, and get away from Jack for a while. I can only hope she has stayed away from the cannibals.

When we reach the beach, they are waiting there, sitting beside the remains of a fire and looking warily about. The Pelegostos tribe could arrive from the jungle at any moment. Meg lifts her head and sees me, and she breaks into a smile. I run over and we hug.

'I thought you'd never come back!' she cries.

'So did I!' I laugh, and we go over to where Will and Jack are meeting each other again. There is a long, bleak journey to come, but it will be so much easier now that we're together.

'I guess the next place is Tia Dalma's hut, right?' Meg asks me quietly.

'I think so.' we all go back to the ship together, and I wonder how long Jack will be like this; all quiet and frightened.

Later, when I am in his cabin, I hear him come into the adjoining room. Unable to resist any longer, I leave my bed and go to find him, where he sits at his desk, rum bottle in hand.

'Jack, you're worried about Davy Jones, aren't you?' I ask, and he looks up and sees me in the doorway.

'How do you know about that?'

'I know a lot.' I go over to him and sit on the desk, 'You mustn't worry, you know. Or at least...' I struggle to say what I've been meaning to say for two days, '...at least, don't shut me out.'

I leave him and return to my bed. It takes a little while, but as I'm falling asleep, I hear the door open and the other side of the bed sinks down. When I wake up in the morning, he will still be there.


	4. Tia Dalma

**Hi! Remember there are bits we've skipped because they're boring and/or Meg wrote them. If you're reading this and wondering what's going on, go back and read the original story which you'll find on our page. THIS IS A SEQUEL. Thanks.**

The air is humid and heavy with the sounds of insects, small creatures and who knows what else crawling round in the undergrowth of this dark jungle, where my eyes have only just adjusted to the light, and where I can admit I feel more than uneasy. We are heading upriver on the pair of longboats possessed by the Pearl, and Meg and I are sitting in the back of one of the boats, behind Jack and some of the other crew members. She, too, is tense, and she keeps looking round at Will, who is deep in conversation with Gibbs on the other boat. I am busy watching Jack, who is glancing warily about, as if expecting the Kraken to rise from the murky river.

Finally, we round a bend in the river, and I see candlelight spilling out across the cloudy water. It comes from a small, ramshackle hut which seems prevented from pitching into the water only by a few precariously-placed wooden struts. The doorway is hung with a myriad of talismans, some I recognize as being used for protection; the rabbit's foot, crescent eye and even a couple of misshapen wooden crucifixes. Whoever lives here is clearly not taking any chances.

Jack, Will, Meg, Gibbs and I go into the hut, leaving the disgruntled crew to mind the boats.

"I'll watch your back." Gibbs offers his captain as we stand on the threshold, none of us willing to enter.

"It's me front I'm worried about." Jack quips, and I shove him into the door, which creaks open, allowing us our reluctant entry.

Tia Dalma sits at her worn, cluttered table, reading her random crab claw chart and appearing not to notice the snakes which cling, hissing, to her rafters, making Meg recoil. As I step into the light, my head bumps against a voodoo doll, wrapped with human hair. It is my turn to shrink away in disgust.

"Jack Sparrow!" Tia Dalma smirks at him, betraying only the slightest recognition of Meg and I.

"Tia Dalma!" he replies, nervous.

"I always knew the wind was going to blow you back to me one day." she says wisely, going to him and only then noticing Will, who just looks bewildered, "You! You have a touch of destiny about you...William Turner." she approaches him, going a little too close. Meg starts looking a little bothered.

"You know me?" he asks stupidly.

"You want to know me." she lightly touches his arm, and Meg jumps between them, eyes blazing but smile fixed.

"Hi! I'm Meg...Will Turner's fiancée." she emphasises the word, and Tia Dalma acknowledges her by smiling serenely and backing away to her table.

"I've come for help and I'm not leaving without it." Jack threatens the wise woman.

"What service may I do you?" she asks, all innocence but casting a sly look at Will as she says it.

"We're looking for this." Will hands her the drawing of the key, "And what it goes to."

"The compass you bartered from me? It cannot lead you to this?" she shoots at Jack, who looks uncomfortably down at the ground, "Ah, Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Your key go to a chest, and it's what lays inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

"And what is in the chest?" I ask, wanting to join in, although I know the answer well.

"You heard of Davy Jones, yes? A man of the sea...a great sailor!" she looks nostalgically into the middle distance, and I know she is remembering him, "Til he run afoul of that which vex all men; a woman as changing and harsh and untameable as the sea. He never stopped loving her, but the pain it caused him was too much to live with, but not enough to cause him to die."

"So, what did he put into the chest?" Will asks, pressing her.

"Him heart. It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings, and so, him carve out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide the chest from the world. The key, him keep with him at all times."

Her story sinks in, and we all stand around, silent for a moment. Will is looking confused, Jack is just looking morose and Meg is watching to make sure Tia Dalma doesn't touch Will again.

"You knew this!" Will turns to Jack.

"I didn't know where the key was, but now we do. So all that's left is to hop aboard the Dutchman, find the key, and you back to Port Royal to clear your names, eh?" Jack laughs, but Tia Dalma is not fooled.

"Let me see your hand." she takes his hand and looks at his palm, where the black spot is clear upon his skin, "The black spot!"

Gibbs looks horrified, as does Will, but Tia Dalma slips into a back room and returns moments later with a big jar.

"Davy Jones can't step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land with you." she offers it to him solemnly.

"Dirt...this is a jar of dirt."

"Yes."

"Is the...jar of dirt going to help?"

"If you don't want it, give it back."

"No!" he clutches the jar to himself protectively.

"Then it helps." she smiles, and turns to Will.

"We have a need to find the Flying Dutchman." he says politely. Tia Dalma goes back behind her table and gathers up the crab claws in her hands.

"A touch...of destiny!" she throws them dramatically to the table, and shows us the shape they make on her hand-carved chart. We are heading for the Dutchman, and Meg is about to lose Will while he is press-ganged (in Jack's own words) into Davy Jones' crew.


	5. Davy Jones

**Hello again. We really really really need more reviews. If you read it, please please please review it or I may need to repeat my words some more. And that can get seriously annoying. If you review, I'll post it quicker. That is my humble pledge... Thanks, lovelies. **

I've never seen Meg looking so down. I have to worry about her, because while the story can be changed, we both know what is coming at the end of At World's End, and it is not good. Still, that is another battle for another day.

Jack watches the scene unfolding through his telescope, and we stand one one side of him, my hair getting plastered to my face by the freezing rain and my hands numb and cold. I can hear the ominous clunking of Davy Jones' wooden claw-leg hitting the deck of the ship that sits beside ours. Within only a few seconds, the terrible crew of the Dutchman materialize in front of us, on our ship. Jack looks terrified.

But not as terrified as Meg...who screams as the pair of us are restrained by two grisly fish-men, their cold, slimy scales against my skin, making me want to die.

"You have a debt to pay! You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. That was our agreement." Jones tells Jack imperiously. I had never realized how terrifying he was on the TV screen. Now, up close, with his tentacles writhing in morbid excitement, those cold, narrow eyes staring at Jack, I am truly scared.

"Technically, I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon." Jack answers, a definite note of panic in his voice.

"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless..."

Meg turns in her captor's grip to face me.

"I never signed up for this..." she mutters grimly, and then we are both hiding laughter behind our hands. Sadly, Jones has finished bargaining with Jack, and we are still giggling, more from fear than anything else. He turns his octapus face to us.

We fall silent as the grave, as Norrie would say.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" he approaches us, "Are these wenches yours, Sparrow?"

"One of them is." Jack grins at us from behind Jones' back, "The other belongs to your Mr Turner."

Davy Jones appears to smile from beneath his hideous beard. He approaches me, wrapping his hand round my neck. The tentacle is cold and clammy, and I struggle to keep from being sick.

"This one is yours, Sparrow." Jones moves on to Meg, his claw under her chin, "This, however, is Turner's. Love...a dreadful bond...and yet, so easily severed." He runs his claw along her throat in a cutting motion.

"Get off her!" I scream.

"Hahahaha!" Jones laughs mirthlessly, "Be careful with this one, Sparrow. She has more spirit than is necessary. Remember, three days."

The crew follow Jones to the edge of the deck, where they seem to slip into the night like liquid darkness, leaving only the smell of despair and rotting fish. I hurry to the rail, where I am sick over the side. I return to Meg, shaking all over and cold.

"Nim, you look awful." she tells me. I can see the tears on her cheeks mingling with the rain.

"Thanks." I smile, "Let's go inside." we head for our cabin, but Jack stops us.

"Hold up there, you. I think rum is in order for the bravest wenches on the ship. Join me in my cabin."

We follow him, grateful for the warm light of his cabin. But I am not sure if my demons can be so easiily banished. Jones' words have made me uneasy about Meg and Will's future, and therefore mine and Jack's. Norrie's words again come back to me; our destinies have been entwined... Is that how it is for Jack, Meg, Will and I? Although Calypso says I can go home still, will is be so easy to leave this world when the battle is over?

We drink late into the night; Jack, Meg, Gibbs, Cotton, Marty and I. The rum has us all merry after a while, and I begin to forget the future. All that matters is now. We sing songs, and I catch Jack watching me as I sing, so boldly that I am forced to shut up and look resolutely at the table. Eventually, the crew go to their sleeping quarters, and Meg goes into the cabin we are sharing, Jack's cabin. She gives me a wicked smile and I suddenly want to throw something at her. She has left Jack and I alone.

I move about the room extinguishing the candles while he sits at his desk, watching me unnervingly all the time. I hum nervously under my breath.

"You know, I regret allowing Meg to share my cabin." he says quietly as I blow out a few more candles.

"Really?" I ask. It's quite a cruel thing to say.

"Yes. I was hoping we might have it to ourselves." he purrs. I blow out the last candle and silently thank the darkness for hiding the blush that burns my cheeks.

"Well, goodnight!" I say jauntily, weaving my way towards the door. The table is in my way and I bump into it, falling to the floor and hurting my arm before jumping to my feet. Why is this never easy? He has come round the desk, and he holds my wrists in his hands and kisses me roughly. When he releases me, I hurry to the cabin, where Meg sits cross-legged on the big bed, laughing quietly at me.

"Oh, do shut up!" I tell her, throwing a pillow at her.

"Are you staying this time, Nim?" she asks, pulling me down onto the bed where we sit opposite one another. Her question has made me worried again.

"I don't know." I tell her honestly.

"You have to! You know how obsessed he is with you?" she laughs, "You could at least make an effort."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you came in here when you could be out there," she points to the door, "And, no offense, but there were some fine dresses in that chest, and there you are...dressed like a pirate."

"We are pirates!" I protest.

"Not really." a rapturous smile spreads across her face, "Hey, we have loads of power here! I wonder if we could make dresses.

"What? Out of thin air?"

"Yeah!" she closes her eyes and I can hear her wish inside my head as if it was my own; I want my wedding dress back! The air shudders slightly, and when I look at her, she is wearing a pale gold gown.

"Wow..." I breathe, "Let me try." Give me a red gown... a pirate queen's gown. Sure enough, when I open my eyes, I am wearing a red dress similar to the one Barbossa made Elizabeth wear. Meg is right. Tomorrow I will make use of my conjuring power, and I will not run from Jack again.


	6. Tortuga Again

**Here you are, lovelies! New chapter. Now I can see that there are people with this on alert but they're not reviewing. It's shameful behaviour and Jack would not approve. :( Please review, I'll give you MONEY. **

**Not.  
**

Ah, Tortuga! Even though I've been here before, its certain charm won't fade. I'm almost sorry to be leaving the hellish place with Elizabeth and Norrington in tow, who will surely make the journey a less than agreeable one. Jack isn't happy either, for he failed to recruit his 100 souls, but he thinks Elizabeth will be able to lead him to the chest, using the compass.

"My compass is unique..." he explains as we all stand on the jetty, preparing to make sail. Norrington stands beside me, looking on in disgust, "It points to the thing you want most in this world."

"To save Will." Elizabeth answers surely, and I can feel Meg tense beside me. Clearly Elizabeth is not over him.

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones..." he places the compass in her hand, and it spins round and round, not settling anywhere. Elizabeth looks up confusedly at him.

"Why isn't it stopping?" she asks.

"You've got to know what it is you want." I whisper, mostly to myself, but I find everyone has turned to look at me.

"I do know!" Elizabeth looks daggers at me.

"Apparently not," I look at the compass and then at Meg, "Let her hold it a moment." I take the spinning thing from her and hand it to Meg. While it's in my hands, the needle points to Jack. I cover it with my hand, for no one needs to see that...

Meg holds the compass, and it stops surely in a direction which she shows to Jack. He smiles, first at her, then at me. I smile back, happy to help and to be knowledgeable. Elizabeth certainly does not look happy.

"We have our heading." he announces, and we board the ship.

Late that night, when the moon is high in the sky, I go out on deck. The water surrounding our ship is flat and calm, a reflection of the night sky. Nary a breeze stirs our sails and we float there, suspended temporarily in a doldrum. By morning, we'll be on our way again, but for now, there is only the calm.

I am disappointed. I wished to try out my new-found power this evening on Jack, but he retired immediately to his temporary cabin, and I was left to pass the evening with Meg, who spoke incessantly about Will. Truthfully, I wish he was here. Walking about the deck, I test the powers anyway. I change my nightdress to a long, green empress' robe, then to a monkey costume, then to a dress of purple velvet that flows about my feet in heavy, rich waves. Sighing, I sink down on the deck by the mast, back in my ordinary pirate clothes, and I wonder whether I will ever get the chance to spend time with Jack... without interruption or the odd need to run away.

"Need company?" I turn round at the voice, and see Elizabeth standing at the top of the companionway, no better dressed than me, her loose blonde hair messy from sleep.

"Don't care." I mutter. Why would she join me except to torment me? Still, she sits down beside me, knees drawn up under her chin. She sighs dramatically.

"Jack clearly likes you." she observes.

"Yeah?" I try to be non-committal as possible.

"I believe so." she smiles sadly, "I miss Will, you know."

"Did you do as I suggested?" I smirk, "Did you reconsider the Commodore's offer?" I told her that in the caves of the Isla de Muerta as we fought off Barbossa's crew.

"I believe I told you to shut up last time you mentioned that." she sighs again, but her smile is real, "I suppose I could..."

"He is a good man. Better than you think." I tell her, my mind wandering to the scene in AWE where he lets her go, choosing a side.

"Well, I don't know if he'll have me. I treated him shabbily." she gets to her feet, "Thanks, Nim."

"No problem." I reply, unsure what I've done for her. She goes inside, and I eventually go back to my own cabin, knowing I will sleep this time. Soon, the real battle starts.

Will holds tightly onto the door handle, wondering whether this is really a good idea. He met his father today, and learned what he needs to get off the ship and free his soul. However, breaking into the Captain of the Flying Dutchman's cabin and stealing his most closely-guarded possession seems like suicide, which ever way you slice it.  
The cabin is lit by candles which are clustered round the grand organ. Jones sleeps by it, his tentacles resting lightly on the keys. By his side, a strange locket sits open, playing its sad little song. I know that locket! Will tells himself, Nim has one! He puzzles over the meaning of this for a moment. Could she have been the woman Davy Jones fell in love with? She seems myterious enough. He would hardly call her "changing and harsh and untameable as the sea", more just 'odd'. Still, that would be the likely reason for the locket's presence.

He remembers his task and reaches out a hand for the key. Eventually, he untangles it from Jones' beard and creeps out onto the deck.

"I'll not abandon you..." he tells his father before getting onto a long boat and leaving the Flying Dutchman. The crew suspect nothing, and the night swallows him whole, leaving Bootstrap Bill on the deck of the doomed ship, his tears unnoticeable upon his mangled face.


	7. Meg & Isla Cruces

**This chapter is written by Meg. So you get a different person writing this one. Two for the price of one. See... Anyways, keep reviewing. Nim did NOT write this chapter. Just thought you should know. For more information, read our profile page. **

The sun burnt my back to a crisp. I could feel the sun beating down my back. It was making it so sore, and I knew I was getting sun burned.

Norrington led the followed behind Jack, I behind her, and Elizabeth followed closely behind.

My shoes were off, and I carried them in my hands. It was a miraculous feeling to feel the sand beneath your feet. Breathing in the Caribbean scent, I sighed heavenly.

I ran so I was standing next to Nim. "Do you think we are getting closer?" I asked Nim.

Nim shook her in head in response, and pointed to the Black Pearl that floated close to shore.

"We will be leaving a little more time before we can go. I know we will find it soon. Jack knows this beach like the back of his hand." Nim said.

I nod my head to her response, and cracked a smile.

Elizabeth grunted as she bumped into me. I know she did it purposely. I could tell by the way she was carrying herself. It was okay though. I had what she wanted. I had the leverage; to her dismay I was the one who had it all.

"Jack, I always knew you were a good man. You can find anything in such a short amount of time."Elizabeth says.

Elizabeth looks at Nim, then to Jack. I can tell she is starting to get under Nim's skin.

She was purposely trying to start things. I have no idea why though. Elizabeth had always been courteous to others feelings, but now I can see a big change in her.

Jack pointed down to the ground, and waved his hands in the air.

"This is it, dig!" he shouted to directly toward Norrington.

Jack eagerly awaited for the finishing of the digging.

I missed Will so much, and I know Elizabeth felt the same way.  
Why did it always have to be like this? I know I can't always feel this way, but many times I wish I would go back to the way things were before. Back to the way it was before I found him. It was all so clear now. I know how the ending of the story went. Could it ever change? I highly doubt, but with all my heart I wish it to be true.  
I was quickly transported back to the present with the sound of the chest hitting the ground hard. I looked over, and noticed Jack holding the key in his hand.

"it's real!" I say.

Norrington looks at me with a surprise look on his visage.

"You actually were telling the truth." Norrington says wagging his finger directly in Jack's face.

Jack gives a selfish grin, and rubs his hand over the chest. "I do that quite a lot, yet people are still surprised. Jack says.

I was completely caught off guard by the sound of my lovers voice.

"With good reason." Will says.

I look over, and there he is. Standing two inches from us; he is soaking wet. A great big smile crosses my face, and I knew I was getting the chance Elizabeth yearned for. There was no doubting I would rephrase Elizabeth's exact words that she said in the movie.

My feet are lifted from the ground like magic, and at first my movement is a good pace. It turns to running, and before I know it I am in Will's arm.

"Thank the Lord you are alright. I was beginning to worry about you. I have missed you so much, and I love you!" I squeal.

We kiss tenderly. His mouth to mine. Our hearts were beating as one, and I was determined to make Elizabeth jealous.

I looked from the corner of my eye. I can see Elizabeth making a face. I gave a quick wink to Nim, and she giggled.

I let go of Will,and hold his hand tightly.

Jack shoves his hands into his pocket, and walks forward.

"How did you get here mate?" Jack asks.

Will walks forward. He is standing directly in front of the chest. Eyes wide he lowers his hands to the chest.

"You ought to know Jack. sea turtles." He protests.

Nim, and I both knew what was coming next.

"They key." Jack says.

Jack holds out his hand. He is preparing for Will's response, when Will stands up once more.

He sees the sword sticking out of Elizabeth's pocket. He grabs the sword, and instead of standing in front of Elizabeth to protect, he stands directly in front of me.

"Try, and get it." He says.

With that Norrington, Jack, and Will all prepare themselves for a sword fight.

We ladies stand by, and watch the brave gentlemen heave the swords up, downward, then back up again.


	8. Many Battles

**Back to Nim's writing again here. What say you to that? Don't read without reviewing. I'll know and I'll be very sad. :(**

"Aren't you coming, Nim?" Elizabeth looks incredulously at me as we stand on the beach. She has started forwards to follow the men, but I know how this happens, and I am not sure that I feel up to running through the forest after them.

"No, thanks. I'll wait here back at the boat." I reply, sitting resolutely down on the sand next to our small craft. Meg joins me.

"I can't believe you!" Elizabeth rolls her eyes and runs towards them, head down to avoid the beating sun.

Meg sits down beside me and sighs.

"Couldn't we use that power of ours to conjure up some shade?" her face is red with exertion, and I can tell that while I am not suffering from sunburn, my pale complexion is being quite destroyed by this relentless good weather. In Deal, we are lucky to get three days of real sunshine a year. I am not used to the lack of gloomy, oppressive clouds.

"Good idea." I answer, closing my eyes and willing a great big straw hat for myself, complete with my outsize sunglasses from my own century. Meg laughs and conjures one for herself, except her glasses are smaller and rose-tinted.

"I didn't feel like looking like a bug." she laughs at me and conjures two very cold bottles of mineral water. I thank god we've discovered this power. There is nothing to do but sit here, enjoying our cooling, magic drinks and wait for the battle to come to us. There is much to talk about for Meg and I; not least my imminent decision about staying or going. However, there is also the problem of Will's fate, Meg's decision and the fact that Jack has to die. Still, after talking for half an hour at least about our various troubles, we have gone round in circles and got nowhere. I pull my hat lower on my head and sigh grumpily. At least Curse of the Black Pearl was simple.

We are forced to flatten ourselves against the hull of the boat, our clothes getting soaked by the sea, when Davy Jones' crew come ashore in a grim parade, like the sea is giving up its scaly, barnacle-coated dead. They speak in low, furtive murmurs that make my skin crawl. But eventually, they pass into the looming forest and I can leave the shallows. In fewer than ten minutes, Jack comes running out to the beach, stuffing the heart hastily into his jar of dirt. He sees me and gestures to it.

"Don't let anyone near it, love." he tells me. I nod silently, knowing that I will have to turn a blind eye to Norrington taking it in a few moments.

The great wooden wheel rolls out onto the beach, and Will and Norrington emerge from it, dizzy and sick. They struggle to fight off the oncoming fish people, and under the cover of the battle, Norrington takes the heart from the jar of dirt. We are all surrounded beside the boat; Jack, Will, Norrington, Elizabeth, Meg and I. It looks bleak. I turn to Norrington.

"Take the heart and go, James." I whisper to him, "Take it to Lord Beckett. Get your life back."

"Why are you helping me?" he looks at me warily.

"Because I can tell you will eventually choose to right side, regardless of what happens now." I reply honestly. With an enigmatic smile, he is off, running into the fray, the heart concealed in his jacket; our secret.

"Into the boat! Do not wait for me!" he calls back to us.

"I think we should respect his final wish!" Jack calls, and we all scramble into the little boat. Only I look at the commodore as he becomes an increasingly small speck in the distance. I know that when we meet again, it will be in his last hours. That fact chills me. Still, the Pearl lingers in the distance, and there are far more chilling prospects before we can finally worry about that.

Back on the Pearl, Will wakes up with Meg leaning over him, smiling sweetly. He smiles dazedly at her and I know they are alright, even if I am not. Gibbs is rejoicing, but Jack still looks wary. I go to him.

"It's nearly over, Jack." I tell him, but the lie tastes metallic and wrong in my mouth. It's only just beginning.

From the sea comes the Dutchman, emerging from the depths like a wraith, the seaweed and flotsam clinging to it like a grisly cloak. Its captain stands on the forecastle, a smug look on his vile face. His crew surround him. Jack looks calmly at them, patting the jar of dirt that he holds in his hand. If only he knew...

Gibbs at least, sees the solemnity of the situation. He crosses himself.

"Lord on high, deliver us." he whispers.

"Let me handle this." Jack waltzes to the edge of his quarterdeck, "Oi, fish-face!" Jones looks his way, "Come to negotiate, have you, you slimy git?" Jack falls down the steps, landing gracefully at my feet, "It's fine!" he calls to Jones, getting up and holding the dirt above his head, "Look what I've got! I've got a jar of dirt, I've got a jar of dirt! And guess what's inside it!" he singsongs.

"Enough!" Jones calls, turning to his first mate Maccus, "Rack the starboard! Send his beloved Pearl back to the depths!"

Everyone on our deck is frozen for one terrifying moment.

"Hard to starboard?" Jack mutters to me.

"Hard to starboard!" I yell out across the deck, and the crew rush to obey. Only in such momentous circumstances would they obey someone who, to them, is nothing more than the captain's wench.

But our efforts are futile, for I know what is coming, and so does Meg. She looks grimly at me as the Dutchman falls behind. Jones is not giving up, he's just sending something far more terrible after our ship; the Kraken... and there is nothing we can do about it.


	9. Calypso's Power

**The last chapter & the epilogue are here. Please put us on alert as the next story is my favourite and more characters are introduced. Please review. What do you think of the ending? **

Perhaps I would be ok, if she didn't look at me so very confusedly as she disappears over the rail, lowered into the boat in Will's arms. Our eyes meet, and for one second, I am sure Meg knows what I intend to do, and she is shocked for it. It's hardly an encouraging display.

But this is what it all comes down to, surely? Trying to keep the story the same so I can still return to my world. Steel yourself, girl... this is hardly going to be easy. I feel the humid, oppressive air on my skin, see the storm clouds gathering above me, the new, reckless wind blowing my hair into tangles as I stand on the half deck. He is only ten metres from me, lurking by the main mast, his hand resting softly on the wood as if he is afraid to let it go. The expression on his face is pure despair, and it almost stops me.

"Jack? You came back!" I smile, but it is false. He sees me and smiles himself, and I go to him. That, at least, takes no power. Even now, I gravitate involuntarily towards him.

"Aye, Nim." he brushes a free lock of hair from my cheek, smiling sadly into my eyes.

"I... I always knew you were a good man." I whisper. Now, Nim... it must be now. I hold his arms tightly and kiss him, pushing him gently back to the mast. I have never felt so bad about kissing Jack. The manacle slips easily round his wrist, grazing his skin. I close it with a snap, and slowly drop my hand, letting it linger on his only a second too long. I step back, and he realizes what I've done. Jack's face goes from his usual smug smile to dark and expressionless. He looks like he did when he killed Barbossa, and I almost fear him.

"This is the only way that you'll see." I steal that line from Elizabeth, but it is the last one I'm stealing, "You must go down with the ship to... to be reborn. I am so sorry, but this is the only way you'll see." I cry, taking his hands in mine.

Then, something strange happens. His face changes again, now to very shocked. His eyes widen and his grip on my hands tightens. There is a strange hum in the air around us, which builds to that beautiful piece of music I recognize from the scene in AWE when Will's heart is cut out. How apt... But, there is something even weirder; I am humming too, shaking in fact. Whirls of light surround us, purple, green, orange and gold. The shudder flows through me into Jack, and then it all stops. We are left standing together once more on the silent deck. The magic has left me, and I'm shaking with the force of it; all Calypso's power leaving me with this one last act.

"What... what are you?" he looks half-terrified, half-impressed.

"Just trust me." the words are out of my mouth before I can think, and then I rush to the side rail, hurling myself down onto the little boat, taking my seat beside Meg and opposite Will. I'm shaking uncontrollably.

"Where's Jack?" Will asks. He looks suspiciously at me.

"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance." I lie smoothly, but there is nothing that can calm my heart, which beats wildly in my chest. My fear for Jack is all-consuming.

"Right then..." Gibbs breaks the silence reluctantly, "Row!"

The little life boat carries me away from the Pearl, from him, and as the rest of my crew lean out to see the Kraken claiming the captain and his beloved ship, I don't turn round once.

Calypso's hut, a few blurred, meaningless hours later; I find myself slumped in a wooden chair, my head resting against a grimy wall. The hut is lit with warm, flickering candlelight... so cheerful, and so irritating. Meg sits with Will, his arm round her. They, at least, are fine, and I suppose I should take some comfort from that, but I don't.

The general mood in the hut, however, is black. Gibbs stands outside on the landing, looking out onto the swamp; Elizabeth sits by me, a cup of rum in her hands, her face maudlin. The rest of the crew are dotted about, drinking rum. Tia Dalma comes to me, handing me the last cup, and leaning close to whisper in my ear.

"You used your power, didn't you?" she sounds fearful.

"I... I didn't mean to. It happened. There was all this light." I explain weakly, "It seemed to flow into him."

"Aye, I feared that." she examines the locket which hangs free of my shirt, "That is the last of this power, you know. It was something we should have foreseen."

"The last? Does that mean... I can't go home?" I ask desperately.

"At least not yet. You must complete the battle, like I said." she frowns, "Do you not want to save Jack?"

That shuts me up, and I resume sitting slumped against the wall, sipping the rum and trying not to think.

"You're thinking that with the Pearl, you could've captured the devil and set free your father's soul..." Tia Dalma says to Will, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"The Black Pearl is gone, along with its captain." Will replies sullenly. Meg takes his hand and I see him brighten slightly.

"Aye, and already the world seems a bit less bright." Gibbs comes into the room, "He fooled us all right til the end, but I guess that honest streak finally won out. To Jack Sparrow!" he raises his cup to the ceiling.

"Never another like captain Jack!" Pintel follows.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was." Ragetti agrees. Soon, everyone is drinking to Jack.

"He... he is a good man." I whisper, drinking deeply from the cup.

"If there was anything that could be done to save him..." Meg smiles roguishly at me.

"Would you do it?" Tia Dalma looks excitedly around at us all, "Would you? What would any of you be willing to do? Would you sail to the ends of the earth and beyond to fetch back wicked Jack, and his precious Pearl?"

There is a round of emphatic "aye"s and finally, everyone is looking at me expectantly.

"Yes." I tell them honestly. Excitement is building within me, such like I never thought I would feel again after his ship disappeared beneath the waves. Tia Dalma was right; this is only the beginning.

"Alright!" she grins, "But if you going to brave the weird and haunted shores at World's End, then... you will need a captain who knows those waters."  
The stairs creak as someone comes down them, first the shiny black boots, but then the long coat, beard, and finally, the feathered hat. Barbossa is back. He smiles at us all, the monkey on his shoulder and an apple in his hand.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" he bites into the apple, and something new begins...

**Port Royal - Epilogue**

The sun sets slowly in Port Royal, and on the beach, a small dinghy is coming ashore, just lowered from the East India Company vessel that is anchored in the calm waters of the bay. In the dinghy are two Company officials, one recognizable as the grim-faced Mercer, and a young lieutenant. Between them sits a dishevelled man whose clothes hint at riches gone to dust, status ruined. His light brown hair forms a tangled halo around his filthy but handsome face. The two Company men take him up to the fort.

"Any news of the Chest?" Lord Beckett snaps impatiently the moment Mercer enters his office. He has been waiting for something to come... anything... just a clue as to where his treasure was.

"No, sir. But our ship did come across a man adrift at sea." Mercer tosses a leather wallet onto the desk. Beckett recognizes it immediately, for it is marked with the Company insignia, "He had these."

Beckett looks at the Letters of Marque, and then incredulously at Mercer, who beckons to someone in the doorway.

James Norrington, former Commodore, steps into the room, a look of grim triumph on his face. He crosses to Lord Beckett's desk and stands there, waiting.

"If you have these, then you must have something to trade." Beckett says evenly, betraying no excitement, "Do you have the compass?"

"No. Better." Norrington removes a bundle of rags from his jacket and throws it onto the desk. Beckett looks warily at it, and then, with great joy, he notices it is pulsing... beating, "The heart of Davy Jones." Norrington tells him.

The tyrant looks at the bundle of rags and smiles slowly. _At last..._**  
**


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